The everyday working lives of nursing staff at hospitals are often hectic. Caring for several patients at once is not only time-consuming, but often also inefficient. The “PATON” startup wants to change this: With the help of a software-based call button, patients will now be able to communicate their specific concerns to staff via their tablet. With this idea, the three students from the ZHAW School of Engineering also won over the jury of the seventh ZHAW Startup Challenge in June. The idea for the software is based on the experiences gathered by one of the students while performing civilian service in a hospital. The call button would ensure that idle time is reduced and an environment for higher quality care is created.

Network and coaching

With their idea, the “PATON” team came out on top against eleven competitors in the 2021 ZHAW Startup Challenge following an eight-week qualification process, which was conducted exclusively online due to the coronavirus pandemic. The prize of membership in the RUNWAY Startup Incubator provides the young entrepreneurs with the perfect springboard to further develop their project. In the Startup Incubator of the ZHAW Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, they will not only be able to benefit from a workplace equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, but also from networking opportunities and coaching offerings. In November, the team also had the honour of participating at Web Summit in Portugal, one of the world’s biggest technology conferences.